Ignition system for explosive-engines.



No. 861,921. PATENTE) JULY 30, 1907.

R. VARLEY. mmrmlsr4 SYSTEM PoR EXPLosIvP. ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 3 1906.

@mi lncmco ,V UNITED s'rn'rdits ,PATENT OFFICE.

I'RICHARD vRLsY, OF ENGLEWOOD," NEW isnssnassieuos TO THE AUTOeOiL COMPANY, i A CORPORATION or Nsw'JERsEY.

IGNITION ASYSTEM FOR ExLosrvE-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3o, 1907.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known ,that I, Rrefmnn VARLEY, a citizen of the' United States, residing at Englewood," in thecounty of In order to avoid distributing the secondary current or having any movable high ytension parts, it has been proposed to employ a primary circuit controller which connects@J single potential source successively with the primaries .of different coils. This arrangement operates satisfactorily when a battery with low and constant evoltage, and vibrator or trembler coils are used because the circuit rupture'is not accompanied bylarge self in- 20. duction and destructive sparking; When a dynamo is used for ignition, trembler coils cannot be satisfactorily `employed because of the large self induction and variable voltage of a dynamo. A single break in the primary 'fgrcuit is sufficient to produce ignition, but if this y takes ace on a .circuit controller having the ordinary metallic segments, the latter will be quickly destroyed by the arcirig', particularly at low speeds.

The circuit, controller of the type having a continuous surface of revolution constitutes, however, the Only practical means for efficientlyr completing the various circuits, and it is the purpose ofuny present invention to use a circuit controller and overcome the destructive arcing, hitherto provingsuch an obstacle, ina special way. The arcingbeing overcome, i't is evident that the problem of distributing the current from an inductive source through difforent'circuits is suc'cessfullysolvcd, ysince such a circuit controllerI fulfils every other" desirablecondition, except taking care ot' destructive arcing.v In other words, the circuit controller has, firxtl 40 a mathematically exact time of closing each circuit with respect to thc'rotation of the engine shaft. Seicondly, it automatically keeps the surfaces bright byI the friction of contact and rotation; rl-hirdly, it' has novibrating, but oi ily evenly rotating parts so that the/perfcct continuity 'of the circuits during their closure is insugod, making better contact at high ,than at low speeds on account of centrifugal force. Fourthly, itpermits of being made heavily and strongly so las to stand the wear and tear of rough usage. These are all thc, possible requisites that could be desired for controlling the.

circuits, assuming that the single difficulty ot. excessive arcing can be overcome.

Referring to the drawingin which like parts are desv ignated by the same reference sign, 1 indicates broadly a circuit controller, the essential principle ofwhich a l perfect surface of revolution 2, which has lalternately conduct-ing and non-conducting arcas thereon. Y 3 indicates the conducting areas, and 4 the non-conducting areas` These are carefully faced so as to occupy a continuous surface of revolution as above stated. By 6() having these'areas ina perfect surface of rei/elution it is possible to have a member revolve in contact tluircwith without vibration, no matter how great speeds are eniployed. v

The rotatable member is shown at 5, on a spindle (i, exactly concentric with the surface of revolution 2. This member is preferably made in the form of an out wardly spring impelled arm. i

7 indicates a roller at the outer extremity o this arm and which rolls on the surface of revolution 2. When 70 the spindle 6 rotates the above apparatus .fills all the conditions ofan ideal circuit controller, as above outlined. The roller 7 makes contact with the successive conducting areas 3 at mathematically exact points in its-revolut'on, and does not vibrate. however great its 75 speed'ma I, be. ln connection with this apparatus I employ means for overcoming the defect of sparking. For this purpose a cam 8 is lixed to the same/spindle 6 which carries the atm 7.

9 indicates a pivoted linger with a roller l() in the path 80 ofthe cani 8.

Al1 dcnotesa contact on th'efinger 9,'and-l2 denotes a A stationary contact in proximity thereto. These contacts are of platinum or non-fusible compound. The i form of the cam 8 is such that it engages and positively v85 impels the finger 9 outward as many times during the rotation of'the spindle G as there are conducting areas 3 within the circuit controller l. Moreover the cam is so adjusted with relation to the arm 5 that it moves the lever to break Contact at thopoints ll and l2 a minute in- 90 tcrval of rotation before thc'roller 7 leaves any one `of the areas 3. Thelelectrical circuits are so organized with 'the above that the circuit controller-l performs all of its n usual functions with its characteristib eilicicncy, but lall non-fusible contacts ll and' l2.

Th'i-arrangcment of circuits is illustrated diagram- I maticlly in the drawing.

A. indicates a shaft which may be considered thc shaft of an explosion engine.

'-1,3 and G are gears having the ratio of l to 2, so that .the spindle G 'rotates at half vthe engine speed or other "commensurate relation.

D is a generator either of the magneto or the selfdynamo in this description. e is a potential terminal of this dynamo, and which is connected to the non fusible Contact l2. lhe con tact Ll is electrically connected to the primary windings of induction coils G',

Y the sparking that occurs is taken care of between the' 95 v exciting type, and which may be generally termed a vl05 G2', Gaud G4, by a wiref. The other primary termi-l 110 ,duction coil G3, (for exiiniple.) iriro h, segment 3.

".ihicli explosion engines :irc rnn.

' turnsI o? ho engine. At. exactly spliced intervalrioi` time the miler 7 inovcslon to the vzirions conductingJv :ire-.is 3, :ind which in each ezine completos n predeter mined i'iriinary circuit :in follows: Froni dyiuiuio D, through Yrire f, contacto 12, il, wire f, primary oi' in- :inii tiriu 5 to ground, In this ,wily the iiiduction'coil pui in zi, niagnctizied condition ready to induce :i secondary discharge. The dynamo l) also acquires :i Condition te 4induce rin extra current, especially if it is o the self-exch ingtype. 'Iiiereiore unless the above circuit is broken abruptly, and across non-t`usihle contacts, :in :ire will be tlriiwii :ind this would be particulzirly the (use, sind particularly injurious, if the ruptiirc-wern inode :it the circuit controller segments. itccordinely i. zirriiiigf.: the pnrts srt that before the rollt-r 7 loftif'es the conducting areas, 3, the com 8 will iiiipinfztA iitgiiinst the ioller l0, :uid positively sepzirzite thi, contacts i1 und i2. Since the above circuit was tritt-ed directly through these contacts, the circuit is tliereliy tirolo-ii between the non-nsiliio contzieto'find no rapidly tliit no :ir: drown or harm done. Thereafter, :intl os short :in iiteri'zii of rotation :iiterward as it is desirable to :idjiist the mechanism. the roller 7 posees ofi of the conducting oren 3 with which itwas engaged, :intl et' course no spurl: whatever is drawn at the segments to injure the exactly true internal surfiiee oi the circuit Controller. Thereiore by the above :irttingenieiii the circuit controller iis notl blistered or burned. und iiniinntim its. perfect surface of revolution 2. The circuit controller is relied upon forelliciently coiiipletingdiie circuit.`V in their proper order und keep iiig^7 tlicin lo e l through the required duration oi' zingulur inovtfiiieiit. The only function of contacts 1l :ind lll is io breuk the cuit :1nd thereafter close to- Oother tifguin is rapidly in; the inertia ot` the linger 9 will zillow. 'Flin interval is not exactly aceerttiinftble, liiit it. is short enough to :satisfy the requirement@ of the circuit controller l nt any ordiiuiry speed with lt will he observed that by the nliove urriingeiiieiit it in utterly impossibleV to ilriiiv n single destructive tire :it the conducting :irons il of the circuit controller, no iiiiitter whether er noty tlio poititi ii iinii 12 infilox ai goed contuct, or whether the le'yver il returnv foon er lute zit'ter being iini at the proper iiiritmit and before the circuit is broken negozi Lwth respect to the rotation of the Spindle so that ,i nothing can prevent the Contact@` il. and l2 operating in the cireuit controller, except actual hreiiluige of the parte. l l

A -feature of the invention lies in the arrangement oi the parta which I employ. l arrange the Spindle (i to project. upwardly. Thizi is :i coiiiinon arrangement, rind is the only satisfactory disposition of the eireu't controller which i thereby aeeernihie for inspection and repaire. But in '.iddition to'havin; the spindle 6 positively' geared by ordinary gettin l and to the en-4 gine shaft A, the dynsnno D is positively geared to the engine shaftby fipur gears K und L. In this way the dyimino also rotates exactly commensurate io the engine :ind also to the spindle (i. y The ratio of the gears K und L is an exact multiple, and the dynamo D hns impulsen @zich revolution. 'In this way the armature may be so set as to produce impulses :tt the particular instants that the various primary circuits are closed. In this Way the dynamo does not have n circuit controller, 'out inerely hun :t one wire eounectionlwitli the armature winding, the other terminal boing grounded. By hu ving the spindle l with it bevel gear connection, and thedynnino D with :i opor-gesliconneetion to the pictly arranged in the traine and elliciently driven, While the spindle G is conveniently arranged in the traine :ind at the sainte time cominennnrately rotated with respect to the dynamo, no to produce the effect above stated.

what I claim, isr In nn ignition s i'steiii fory explosion engines, n circuit including: n dynnnio having one terminal grounded on tin` fronte o the engine, :i puit' of non-fusible eoniiictn iiotn insuliited t'ioin the fi'iinie ot the murine und one connected to tinl potentini terminal of Suid dynrinio, :i Circuit rontroiiei'.hairlineV :i i'evhluiiie erin grounded on the friiiue ot the engine :ind linvntr n yurt'aee of revolution concentric with` the :ixin oi revolution of rinid :ti-ni. snld surface of revolution iuivtng: :i number hf conducting orcos, n niur'zillry of 'non-vibrator indvctlon colis` connected thereto.

circuit with the .other ouv et'. 4ii'id non-fusible confirms :ind incuria,l 4for sepiiintina .:id non-fusible contiicts tet'ore Suid :trui is on tliti iioiiii of lenvine etici; of szid conducting Iarrears.

in n'itnew whereof, i siiliseiihe niy signature. in the presence ot" tivo witnesses. y'

RICHARD YARLNY.

polled outward. The notion ot' the ciiin S is positive an ordinary H armature so en to generate two electric Y engine shaft, it is possible to have .the dynamo comr finiti induction colin livio; :iii connected in tt "otnuioiiy 

